Direct Trade
Direct Trade is a way of sourcing coffee where cafes and roasters buy directly from coffee farmers, cutting out middlemen. It's different from Fair Trade because businesses build personal relationships with farmers and often pay higher prices for better quality. This approach helps ensure both better coffee quality and fair compensation for farmers. When you see this term in resumes or job descriptions, it usually means the person or business is committed to ethical sourcing and quality control in their coffee program.
Examples in Resumes
Developed relationships with Direct Trade coffee farmers in Colombia and Guatemala
Managed Direct-Trade coffee purchasing program for multiple cafe locations
Created educational materials explaining our Direct Trade sourcing practices for staff and customers
Typical job title: "Coffee Buyers"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Coffee Buyers
Professional Organizations
Online Communities
Industry Events
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How do you establish and maintain relationships with coffee farmers in different countries?
Expected Answer: Look for answers that show experience in international relationship building, understanding of coffee farming seasons, quality assessment, price negotiation, and long-term partnership development.
Q: How do you ensure quality consistency in a Direct Trade program?
Expected Answer: Should discuss quality control processes, cupping (coffee tasting) protocols, maintaining standards across harvests, and managing relationships when quality issues arise.
Mid Level Questions
Q: What factors do you consider when pricing Direct Trade coffee?
Expected Answer: Should mention farmer costs, quality premiums, transportation expenses, market prices, and maintaining sustainable relationships while keeping retail prices reasonable.
Q: How do you explain Direct Trade benefits to customers?
Expected Answer: Should demonstrate ability to communicate value proposition, including quality benefits, ethical sourcing, and farmer relationships in customer-friendly language.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What's the difference between Direct Trade and Fair Trade?
Expected Answer: Should explain that Direct Trade involves personal relationships and quality-based pricing, while Fair Trade is a certification system with set minimum prices.
Q: How would you track and document Direct Trade relationships?
Expected Answer: Should discuss basic record-keeping of farmer communications, visits, quality scores, and pricing agreements.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic coffee quality evaluation
- Understanding of coffee sourcing principles
- Customer service and education
- Basic knowledge of coffee growing regions
Mid (2-5 years)
- Direct relationship management with farmers
- Quality control procedures
- Price negotiation
- Supply chain management
Senior (5+ years)
- International partnership development
- Strategic sourcing program management
- Team training and development
- Coffee quality expertise
Red Flags to Watch For
- No knowledge of coffee quality evaluation
- Lack of understanding about coffee growing seasons
- No experience in relationship building or maintenance
- Poor communication skills for explaining sourcing practices
- No awareness of coffee pricing structures
Related Terms
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